Using Filters and Labels in Todoist to Stay Focused - The ...

Labels aren't a new concept, and the way that Todoist implements them isn't foreign either. You can call them labels, tags, even contexts ... 📒NEW:2022DigitalPlanner: MadeforiPad  →  Yes,Please!Afewweeksago,welookedathowtouseTodoistfilterstoorganizeyourprojectsandtasklists.Whilefilterscanbeasflexible(andpowerful),youcandoevenmorewhenyoucombinethemwithlabels.FiltersallowyoutodeterminewhatinformationyouwanttoincludeinaviewfromwithinTodoist.Welookedathowyoucanfilterbyprojecthierarchy,duedates,assignee,priority,andmore.Weevenshowedhowtousefilterstoseparateyourworkandpersonalprojects.Butwhenyouaddlabelstotheequation,youhaveevenmoreflexibilityoverwhatTodoistshowsyouwhen.Tiredofbeingmanagedbyyourtasks?TakeourPersonalTaskManagerAssessmentTherearelotsofgreatappoptionsforhelpingyoustayontopofallyourpersonaltasksandprojects.Butwithsomanyoptions,howdoyouknowwhichtaskmanagemerisrightforyou?Findoutwhichtaskmanagementappisbestsuitedforyourneedssoyoucangetthingsdoneandgetbacktowhatisreallyimportant.TaketheAssessmentWhatareLabels?Labelsaren’tanewconcept,andthewaythatTodoistimplementsthemisn’tforeigneither.Youcancallthemlabels,tags,evencontexts(likeOmniFocus)—theyalldothesamething.Andsinceyoucancreateanylabelyouwant,thepossibilitiesforhowtousethemareendless.Todoistusesthe@symboltodenotealabel,so@emailwouldbeanemaillabelonataskorproject.Youcouldalsohavelabelsfor@homeor@outtodesignatewhetherataskhappensathomeorawayfromhome(suchasanerrandatastore).I’vealsoseenpeopleuselabelstogivetasksaroughestimateofeffortsotheycanpickone-offtaskswhentheyhaveafewminutestospare.Somethingwitha@low-effortlabelcouldmeanittakeslessthan5minutestocomplete,forexample.Similarly,youcouldusealabeltoindicatethatataskneedstobereviewedorfleshedoutduringyourweeklyreviewsession.Ifyoucanthinkofawaytousefilters,Todoistisflexibleenoughtohandleit.OneofthemainwaysIpersonallyuselabelsisforindicatingapersonthatisrequiredformetocompletethetask.IhavealabelforeachpersonIinteractwithonaregularbasis.Forexample,ifIthinkofsomethingtodiscusswithmybossatournextweeklyone-on-onemeeting,Icanaddthattaskandaddthelabel@bosstoremindmethatIneedtohavethisconversationwiththatperson.Thesamethinggoesformyspouse,mycoworkers,family,etc.Whynotincludetheperson’snameinthetasknameordescription?Sure,youcoulddothatandit’sprobablyatadeasier.Butthepowerofthelabelisinhowitcanbeusedtofilterinformationlater.WhenIputthisconcepttogetherinmyhead,itwasamajor“whoa”momentthatreallypropelledmeforwardinmyTodoistjourney.Let’susethesameexampleaboutdiscussiontopicsformyboss.IfIhavemorethanoneideaduringtheweek,Icanpullthoseup(bygoingtothelabelinTodoist)duringmymeetingsothatIcanrunthrougheachoneandcrossthemoffaswego.Nice!Thisiscoolbecauseeachtaskcanbeassociatedwithadifferentproject,andIcaneasilygroupthemtogetherbyaddingtheproperlabel.AnotherexamplethatIlearnedfromusingOmniFocusinthepastistousea@waitinglabelforanyitemsthatIcannotworkonjustyetduetootherdependenciesnotbeingcomplete.Duringmyweeklyreview,thisisoneofthelabelsthatIreviewtomakesurenothinghaschangedinmy“waiting”list.Maybeyouidentifyyourselfasamorningperson(oranightowl!)andknowwhenyouhavethemostcreativeenergyavailablefordoingspecificwork.Therearemanynamesforthesetypesoflabels,butIliketouse@[email protected]’stimetofocus,Icanquicklyscopedownmylisttoonlytheitemsthatareimportantformyfocusedworksession.And,ifit’stheendofthedayandIdon’thavemuchenergy,Icandigintothatlistandgetsomeeasy(butmonotonous)adminworkdone.Withtheseexamples,you’rehopefullystartingtounderstandwhatlabelsalonecanhelpyouaccomplishinTodoist.Butonceyougetusedtousinglabelswithyourtasks,thingsopenupevenmorewhenyourealizeyoucanattachmultiplelabelstoatask.WhileIdon’tusethisalot,it’sincrediblyhelpfulinthoseone-offsituations.CombiningFilterswithLabelsLabelsaregreatontheirownduetothefactthattheyareindependentofanyprojectandassigneeassociations.It’sjustonemorepieceofmetadatathatallowsyoutoorganizeyourlife.Let’sstartwithanexampleforfilteringtasksthatIneedtocompletewhilephysicallyattheoffice.Sincethiswillonlyberelevantforworkprojects,IcanincludeonlyprojectsthatareundermymainWorkhierarchyandhavethe@officelabel.##Work&@office Now,let’slookatanexamplethatusesacoupleofdifferentlabels.Let’ssayIwanttospendafewminutesfollowingupontasksthataredependentonotherpeople.Previously,Iaddedthe@emailand/[email protected],IcancreateafilterthatshowsmethetasksthathavebothlabelsappliedsothatIknowexactlywhoIneedtoemail.Youcancombinethembyusingan&modifierandwrappingbothlabelsin().##Work&(@email&@waiting) Tomakethisevenmorespecific,let’sonlyconsidertasksthatareoverdueorcomingupinthenextweek.Youcanindicateanormodifierbyusingapipecharacter|.##Work&(@email&@waiting)&(overdue|7days) Finally,let’smakeonemoresmalltweaktothiscomplexfiltertoshowtasksforfollowingupwithspecificpeopleviaemail.##Work&@email&(@John|@Donna|@Natalie)&(overdue|7days) Youcouldalsomakeasmallchangetothisfiltertofocusonpeoplethatyouneedtocallback.Iusethe@phonelabelforindicatingthatIneedtouseaphonetocallsomeone—anothergreatlabeltofilteronwhenyou’refocusedonreturningphonecalls.Next,let’slookatanexamplethatshowsusalistoftasksthatwecanworkonwhenit’stheendofthedayandwehaveafewminutestoworkonsomeeasytasksorchoresaroundthehouse.The!characterstellsTodoisttofocusonprojectsthatarenotintheWorkprojecthierarchyandthatwe’renotwaitingon.!##Work&(@home&@braindead&!@waiting) Thisopensupyourfilteringsyntaxevenmore!TheSkyistheLimitWhatI’velearnedfrommyyearswithTodoististhatyoucancreateafilterforanythingyouneed.Itcantakesomethinkingandtaskupdatestomakethesystemworkhowyouintend,butI’vealwaysbeenabletofindawaytomakeTodoistshowmeexactlywhatIwanttoseebasedonallthecontextsandresponsibilitiesthatshapemylife.Labelsareincrediblysimpleinnature—they’rejustwordsthatyoucanattachtotasksadnauseum.Butifyouplanoutthesystemandsticktoit,theybecomeincrediblypowerfultoolsformakingyourdataworkforyou(andnottheotherwayaround).Plus,youcanimpresspeoplewithyourseeminglysuper-humaninformationrecallifyouhaveafewgo-tofiltersinyourTodoisttoolbelt!Ifyou’relookingformoreinspirationonhowtousefiltersandlabels,Todoisthasalotofdocumentationontheirsitethatcanhelpyoucustomizeeverythingtoyourliking.Tiredofbeingmanagedbyyourtasks?TakeourPersonalTaskManagerAssessmentTherearelotsofgreatappoptionsforhelpingyoustayontopofallyourpersonaltasksandprojects.Butwithsomanyoptions,howdoyouknowwhichtaskmanagemerisrightforyou?Findoutwhichtaskmanagementappisbestsuitedforyourneedssoyoucangetthingsdoneandgetbacktowhatisreallyimportant.TaketheAssessmentFollowus GetAppPicks,Guides,&MoreGetworkflowtips,apprecommendations,how-toguides,stories,andmoredeliveredtoyourinbox.Pluswe'llsendyouourproductivityguideforfree!Guides&CoursesNEW:ToObsidianandBeyondOrganizeyournotesandideastomakecreativeoutputeasywithObsidian.Forbeginnersandprosalike.»FullCourseListServing14,000customerssince2013,wehavealibraryfullofin-depthcoursestohelpyoubemoreproductive,creative,andfocused.Viewallcourses»BundleupandSaveSave45%($241discount)whenyougetalltenin-depthcoursestocompleteyourlibrary.»TheLatestPostsDevelopingaFitnessHabitwiththePelotonAppItwasJanuary2020.IhittheNewYearwithambition.Iwantedtoreadmore,writemore,andmostimportantly,exercisemore.Wehadadustyoldexercisebikeadoptedfromafamilymemberinthecornerofthebasement.Ithadn’tbeenusedinyears.»DoingaDigitalDeclutterThisisyourannualremindertoreevaluatethetechnologiesyouuseonadailybasis.»JoshGinter’s2022MacBookProAccountingSetup,WritingYourOwnPopClipExtensionSnippets,andMoreCatchuponwhatwepublishedthisweek,includingalookatJosh'snewM1-basedportableaccountingsetup,aniftyPopClipextension,someinterestinglinks,andmore.»QuickTip:WritingYourOwnPopClipExtensionSnippetsPopClipisatextutilitythatI'velearnedtorelyonwhenworkingfrommyMac.ItgivesyouaniOS-stylebaraboveanytextthatyouselect,allowingyoutoinstantlysendittoanotherappusingover200availableextensions.UsingPopClip,youcanquicklyaddto-dostoyourtaskmanager,eventstoyourcalendar,andawholelotmore.»JoshGinter’s2022M1ProMacBookProAccountingSetupMywishforanM1-poweredMacBookProcametrueinOctober2021,ofcourse.Andthensome—notonlycanthesenewMacBookProsdrivetwoexternaldisplays,theycandrivefourdisplays,allwhilefast-charging,readingandwritingdirectlytoSDcards,andmore.ThesenewMacBookProsareindeeddreamscometrueandIhadtohaveone.»